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Greetings from Koh Tao! It’s felt great to be back on my island and back in a routine. Well, as close to a routine as one gets around here. This week had three big celebrations to look forward to — the American holiday of Thanksgiving, the Thai holiday of Loy Kratong, and theย personalย holiday of my dear friend Paivi’s birthday. Lots to look forward to, and lots to fill in all the bits in between — writing, answering emails, editing photos of recent trips, planning future ones, and getting back to my workout plan. While I dragged my feet getting back into the gym (I only made it once all week!), I did have some pretty fun sweat-inducing alternatives, including hiking, yoga, and trapeze.
The coming week will be pretty much be more of the same. I might have just gotten back from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, but the next trip is already right around the corner — I leave for Bangkok and Siem Reap in just about two and a half weeks, and I’ve got plenty of work ahead of me if I have any hope of unplugging for parts of that trip!
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Now, onto the candidates for Photo of the Week…
Photo A
Trapezing through the palm trees
Photo B
Celebrating Loy Kratong
Photo C
Hiking to the Burmese Temple
Which photo is your favorite?
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Photo B – because I would love to attend that kind of ceremony
I feel lucky I got to experience it two years in a row. Gorgeous!
Photo B! Beautiful girl full with wishes, just like the balloon/lantern she’s will set in the air.
Actually, she just set a floating lantern into the water ๐ There are two types — one for the sea, and one for the sky. I love it!
Photo A – because it looks like so much fun!
It was! Can’t wait to get back up there on another non-rainy day!
I love photo C – really beautiful.
Trapeze sounds WAY more fun than the gym. Although I reckon I’d fall off and look like an idiot. ๐
Falling is all part of the fun ๐ That’s what the harness is for!
beautiful photos! And who needs the gym when you have yoga, hiking, and trapeze!? right? ๐ Love photo C!
I do think it’s good to mix some weight training in there, hypothetically ๐ Hopefully I’ll get back there today!
Photo B – I love that lantern shot! Photo C is beautiful as well!
Thanks Ashley! It’s been a really lovely week.
Photo B for me as well Alex. The photo of the little girl is beautiful!
Thanks Janice! I was thrilled when she finally stood still ๐
Both photos B look magical. I would love to read more about Loy Kratong celebration.
I have a post up from last year, which might tide you over till this one ๐
I choose ‘B’ but your photos are always stunning. They have a beautiful color quality I have never seen.
Do you achieve this effect with photo editing or is it just your amazing natural talent. ..or both!!
Also I just missed Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai last week but will be back next year. I didn’t know they celebrated on Koh Tao <3
Hey Lisa, I enjoy editing my photos and am very obsessive about cropping, sharpening and color correcting until they are just right. So I like to think it is talent at editing ๐ Yes, the celebration is much smaller here but still a lovely event.
The result is stunning…your photographs are so warm and inviting. I love the tropics and they all make me feel like I am right there.
I just returned from two weeks in Myanmar and two weeks in Thailand (Khao Sok, Similans and Chiang Mai) and loved it! You were my inspiration for going. Thank you!!!
That is amazing to hear, Lisa. You made my day!
Photo B — such a gorgeous set of pictures! All of the options made me miss living in Thailand though. I so wanted to try the trapeze at Ko Tao!
You’ll have to come back! It’s a great workout and so much fun, and run by a lovely group. Good times ๐
Toughie, but my vote’s for C!
My favorite mini-hike on the island (only about 45 minutes round trip from my place!)
I had hard time deciding this time, but I choose C. It looks beautiful and mysterious.
Thanks Patricia. It was the perfect sunset time of day!
Even though C was not taken in Burma, it captures that steamy Burmese jungle vibe.
Mmmm. Can’t wait to see it for myself some day!
Can’t decide between A and B! A seems so much fun and B is just so…magical!
Thanks Dani! I love it when it’s tough to decide.
Gotta go with B this week, pretty sad that I just missed Loi Krathong by a few weeks! It truly is magical.
Yeah, I really debated heading up to Chiang Mai at first but now that all is said and done I’m so glad I spent it in Koh Tao! Sometimes simple is best x
Photo C – nice editing. It almost looks like a cartoon!
Thanks! I do love me some cartoons ๐
I love B. I was on Koh Lanta for Loy Krathong and unfortunately they didn’t release any lanterns but they had a great parade, beauty contest and night market ๐
Interesting! I wonder why they didn’t? I kind of thought it was all over Thailand…
Apparently it is mainly just the floating baskets in the south, and the lanterns in the north. That’s what I heard anyway
Photo C – I feel serene just by looking at it.
I felt the same way taking the photo!
The celebration looks great! Alex, could you please share direction to the Burmese temple? Thanks!
I will write a post about it eventually (I’ll be doing several more hiking posts) but in the meantime you can find it on maps of Koh Tao you’ll find all over the island. Good luck!
Did you go diving/snorkeling this trip? If it’s been awhile, you may not have seen the baby giant clams. The dive shops have been planting baby giant clams around the island. Their colors are amazing. I took a Sony action cam with me captured snorkeling footage of each bay that I snorkeled on. I posted them on my Youtube site.
Oh, and I like the picture of the little girl in the Traditional Thai costume.
I’m living on Koh Tao now, but no, didn’t go diving/snorkeling this particular week. Hopefully soon!
Photo B! love the reflections in the water
Thanks Sarah! Seems to be a favorite this week!
Photo B is beautiful…that festival totally blew me away! ๐
It’s small on Koh Tao yet still so special. Hopefully I’ll be writing a full post about it eventually!
Photo C is my favorite for sure!
Looking forward to your Siem Reap posts…4 months until my first trip to Asia, which includes 4 days in Siem Reap ๐
Awesome! I do have some old ones in my archives to tide you over till the new ones go live ๐